Crafting Blooper... with Etched Glass Tutorial

Okay so not every idea comes out perfect and this tutorial is a classic example...luckily I was able to salvage the project to some degree:) I've seen many tutorials on glass etching and thought it looked simple enough...lol...I'm laughing because it is simple, however I guess I had unknown expectations ... I don't own any kind of cutting machine, so that complicated the project a little. My projects would be somewhat simpler if I had a Silhouette however I'm too cheap for now:) My good friend turned 29 last week... seriously 29, I promise, this is the real one (the first 29th birthday in her words... actually she said the first of many 29th birthdays) Since I plan to celebrate the next fifty 29th birthdays with her I thought it was appropriate to make glasses to celebrate the occasion. Below is the final product and the rest is a lovely story... I thought I would start by etching her last name initial onto a frame and then accessorize the frame a little...

1. Thrift store frame and Armour Etching Cream (Hobby Lobby)

2. Glass from the frame, contact paper, mat, and knife

3. Cut contact paper large enough to cover the glass surface you intend to etch, smooth out the contact paper to remove any air bubbles

4. I printed a large letter T in a pleasing Font (I used Word)

5. Place the printed paper under the glass and trace with your knife, then gently peel up the area you cut.

6. Generously cover the stenciled area with the etching cream using a brush... use more than shown, let this set 5-10 minutes.

7. No need to waste... I used a Pampered Chef pan scraper to remove the excess and I put it back into the bottle. Then rinse the glass under water and gently rub the area with a paper towel.

8. If you would like a more defined etching, dry the glass and repeat the etching process again. I did the T twice. I only did the "29 glasses" one time.

9. I put a coat of glossy black spray paint on the frame.

10. The frame needed a little bling... so I added a fabric flower rosette. (Tutorial Link is at the bottom of the page)

11. I took some hot glue and accessorized the frame... so pretty! This is the finished etching... I could have left the card stock off the back and applied a ribbon hanger or something but it just didn't pop enough for me, however the etching did come out exactly as it was supposed to. Since I wanted the overall look to "pop" more I reapplied some clear contact paper and cut the T out with my knife AGAIN... then I put on three coats of black craft paint. Once the craft paint is dry take your knife AGAIN and score the stenciled area one last time. If you don't run your knife along the edge of the stencil before peeling it off you'll take all the paint with it... TRUST ME! Isn't the finished project lovely?... I'm pretty pleased considering I don't have a Silhouette or Cricut and it certainly isn't vinyl... not to mention I turned a mediocre etching into a more pleasing show piece... like I said earlier, I cut an 8 x 10 piece of attractive looking scrapbook paper and added it to the back of frame. ... and just to prove that in the process I did learn how to properly etch a piece of glass and what the expectations should be... I thought I would post one last picture of these beautiful goblets... did I mention they came from the dollar store for $1 each:) Just a little bonus to my etching experience! I used Word again for the 29 stencil, font was Georgia size 72.
Jen at Tatertots and Jello gives a great rosette tutorial (click here)

If you are visiting from a linky party... thanks for checking me out. Enjoy your stay and check out a few of my other tutorials... and if you like what you read, follow me because I'm hooked, addicted, and totally dependent.... this blog "thing" has just started for me:)